Hidden Peace
Chapter 1 Cloud sniffed the grass and and barked happily. She stalked and then sprang around the border, stretching her muscles. The smell of fresh leaves and grass was in the air and the sun was shining brightly. Cloud's tongue came out into a happy pant. A good run around camp. ''Great day, the Pack is happy and I lead a good hunt! ''Cloud thought happily. She rolled on her paws and barked. Then she raced back to where her Pack was. She leaped over a log gracefully in the large forest. She saw her friends, Alpha, and Beta, who were both resting on a rock. "Great day, let's have some fun!" Cloud barked playfully. Alpha nodded. "That is the most important thing" Rex growled playfully back. "Yep!" little black-and-white Beam added. "You have a lot of energy to go on a hunt and then race around" Alpha grumbled, "That is good. You did well leading your hunting party, as the lead hunter." Cloud nodded respectfully. "We should eat then" Beta said. Alpha rose to her paws and padded to the food pile, Beta rose to follow her. Cloud nodded and the Pack went to their Pack places. "Packmates, hear me!" Alpha growled. "I have been advised and decided it I'd true. I have not been letting you make challenges, because we did not need to have fights in our own Pack and fight an other." Cloud growled. Alpha had not let eny dog make challenges because they were in a small argument with foxes. An''d it made sense- The do''gs were unsettled ''enough when foxes started to attack and even ''kill dogs in the middle of the night when they wuld have one-dog-night patrols. Cloud did not really agree though, it was Pack law, she was for biding dogs to rise and prove themselves. Alpha had made meany mistakes Cloud did not like, though some of them Alpha was just under a bit presure. "You may make a challenge now, I beat the Coyotes" Alpha said. Cloud's ears liffted. ''Did she just say 'I beat the coyotes'? ''Cloud growled. "And if so you may as well do so before we eat." Alpha added. Sprint, the black and brown dog dipped his head and stepped up. "I wuld like to chalenged a Hunter" Spring said. Alpha stared at him. "Sprint! I don't want you getting hurt!" Cloud tilted her head and stared at her. Tension rose in the Pack. "What?...." Sprint whimpered, looking unencouraged. "Well, I do not want you getting hurt in a fight, is that leadership! I am keeping you safe and giving you advice!" Alpha growled. Cloud stared at her. ''Unencouraged a dog is not ''leadership! "Sprint can be a good hunter" Cloud protest. There were barks and whines of agreemnet from the Pack. "Yes, but he culd be killed" Alpha said. "I want you safe Sprint, and you are a good Patrol Dog" The Pack looked unsettled and sad, staring at Alpha. "Alpha has a point, we do not want a dog hurt." Beta said, Alpha licked Beta'says ear in agreement. Cloud growled. "That is nonsense. Sprint wuld be a good hunter and is strong!" Cloud barked. Sprint backed doun. "No... thanks Cloud, but Alpha speaks sence. I don't need wounds..." Sprint said his head was low though. He nodded gratefully at Cloud, though he had definitely backed doun from the challenge. Sprint did have a bad paw, but Alpha made Sprint and even the others unsure. "No, no, you can Sprint, just back doun if it hurts" Alpha growled, but Sprint dipped his head and Luna barked and her and Sprint play-fought, Sprint probably did not want to challenge that much because he seemed over it. "Any other challenges" Alpha ssked. The Pack looked unsure, no dog stoped up. "Good, stay sfae, let's eat" Alpha said. ''It is right of her to want the Pack safe, but I hope she stops making foolish decisions. ''Cloud thought. Cloud saw Glide bark. "Can I tell a joke?" She asked respectfully. Alpha nodded slowly, Cloud' tail wagged, her friend was helping calm the others doun and have fun. Glide looked to the first random dog she saw. "Beam? I bet I can make you say squirrel!" Glide barked. Beams tail wagged. "Yay! I love jokes! Go ahead" Beam yipped, she sat doun and tried to focouse. "What is that animal?" Glide glanced to a rabbit. "A ribbit" Beam said. "Ha! I told you I culd make you say rabbit!" "No, you said you are going to make me say squirrel! Boom!" Beam yipped and then growled a laugh. "You used cleverness against me!" Most dogs wagged thir tails and laughed, Cloud was happy they calmed doun, a joke, even if not a joke or not funny, even just a few clever words, was a good distraction to calm the dogs doun. The dogs barked happily and began to eat.